St. Louis Nearly Doubles its Nonstop Options with Spirit Airlines as Spirit Celebrates First Flight

The first in a line of bright yellow planes touched down in St. Louis on Thursday, and Spirit Airlines (NYSE: SAVE) marked the milestone by revealing more of them are on the way in November. Spirit announced new daily flights to Fort Myers (RSW), Phoenix (PHX) and Tampa (TPA) along with Cancun (CUN), which will mark the carrier's first international service from St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL). The new destinations join five others announced for Spirit's arrival at the Gateway to the West.

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"St. Louis travelers know how to spot a good value, and they're clearly excited about Spirit's arrival at St. Louis Lambert International," said John Kirby, Vice President of Network Planning for Spirit Airlines. "We saw a strong response as soon as we announced our first routes, so the decision to add more nonstop routes to fun destinations was easy to make. With low-cost flights to St. Louis' most popular vacation destinations, Gateway City residents have more opportunities to enjoy a quick getaway or spend time with friends and family."

Spirit flight 1157 will be the airline's first departure from STL on May 27. Plans call for it to leave under a water cannon salute with nonstop service to Los Angeles (LAX). The rest of the day's schedule calls for flights to and from Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Las Vegas (LAS) and Orlando (MCO) with service to Pensacola following in June. Thursday's announcement means STL travelers will be able to catch nonstop flights to nine cities-and connections throughout the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean-while enjoying Spirit's famous low fares, Signature Service and on-time performance.

"Today is a great day for our airport," said Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge, STL Airport Director. "Not only does Spirit begin service to five destinations from St. Louis, but Spirit is doubling down on their commitment to St. Louis Lambert International with the announcement of new service to four more cities."

Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas and Orlando are three of Spirit's biggest cities, which means nonstop flights from STL come with easy connections throughout the United States. Fort Lauderdale is also Spirit's largest gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean, providing access to 16 countries.

Spirit continues to seize growth opportunities as demand for air travel increases. This year, 16 new fuel-efficient Airbus A320neo planes will join the airline's Fit Fleet™, which is among the youngest in the industry. Next year, Spirit plans to accept another 21 new planes.

The airline's Free Spirit® loyalty program is also new this year, and it offers the fastest way to earn rewards and status.** Members are discovering opportunities to earn points on every booking, every bag and every Big Front Seat®. Plus, options like Points Pooling with friends or family make it easier than ever to plan vacations and trips to visit loved ones.

Recognition

Spirit continues to garner awards and recognition in 2021. Spirit is one of only three U.S. airlines listed on FORTUNE's 2021 list of World's Most Admired® Companies, which measures companies with the strongest reputation within their industries. The carrier is a Gold Stevie® Award winner for its groundbreaking self-bag drop system with biometric photo matching, which speeds the check-in process and reduces face-to-face contact. Spirit also earned "Platinum" status in the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) Health Safety initiative powered by SimpliFlying. Additionally, WalletHub recently named Spirit "Most Affordable Airline" in their 2021 Best Airlines awards and ranked Spirit third out of 11 in the overall rankings.

Guest Safety

Spirit's commitment to Safe Travels includes enhanced cleaning, advanced air filtration and a health acknowledgement at check-in. Airlines and airports remain subject to federal law requiring Guests to wear an appropriate face covering at airports and on flights. Please visit Spirit's COVID-19 Information Center for more information on safety enhancements.

*Subject to government approval.

** B ased on points earned on published fares (excluding sale fares) and optional services using the Free Spirit Credit Card (the "Card"), and includes status qualifying points earned by spending on Spirit and everyday purchases using the Card.